New President Appointed and New Members Join Board of Directors

The Society's Board of Directors has a new leader at the helm
with the selection of Robert J. Pascal, Jr., as its new president. Pascal
succeeds Bruce D. Sargent, who held the position for the past two years, and
remains on the board’s advisory council.

A native of Darien, Pascal is the chief marketing
officer for Centerplate, a leading hospitality firm for the world’s largest
public venues and stadiums. He has been a member of the board since 2011, and
served as its treasurer for the pasttwo years.

During its recent Annual Meeting, members of
the Society honored Sargent for his “clear-eyed leadership, quiet generosity
and dogged enthusiasm for the Society and its mission.” Sargent served on the
board for the past six years, and was also treasurer of the board for two
years.

A graduate of Columbia College and Columbia
Graduate Business School, Sargent is a certified financial analyst who has
spent his career at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and is currently senior vice
president and portfolio manager at its Westport office. His antique cars have
generously represented the Darien Historical Society in the town’s Memorial Day
parade for several years.

Co-Vice President Kate Larson said Sargent and his wife, Janet, are part of the “fabric of the Darien Historical Society” and remain integral to its continued success.

“Bruce, you’ve left the Society on a firmer footing in every possible way – your guidance on financial matters, ideas about programming, your attention to the facility and its grounds. You were instrumental in managing the search and hiring of our new executive director,” said Larson, during a public presentation after the meeting.

The Darien Historical Society, located at 45 Old Kings Highway North, operates the Bates-Scofield Homestead, featuring an 18th century saltbox colonial, historical herb garden, resource library and spacious barn exhibition gallery. The Society’s mission is to educate the community about its rich heritage and to preserve historical artifacts for future generations.

Sargent said that Pascal’s professional experience and commitment to public service make him uniquely qualified to serve as the Society’s president.

“Over the years, I’ve been impressed with Bob’s enthusiasm, his commitment to the Society’s mission, and his dedication to this town. I’m confident that I’m passing the baton to someone who will lead the Society toward further growth,” Sargent said.

Active in several professional and civic organizations, Pascal is a recognized marketing expert who oversees his company’s global client strategy, as well as its corporate marketing office and public relations initiatives. A recognized resource on industry trends, Pascal is frequently called upon for trade and mainstream media stories as well as speaking engagements at industry and academic conferences. A graduate of Davidson College, Pascal and his wife, Sara Lyn, live in Darien’s Delafield Island section with their two children.

“It is an honor to serve as president of the Darien Historical Society, which is such a vital resource for our community,” Pascal said. “I’m looking forward to working with this very talented board of directors to develop some exciting new initiatives.”

In addition to Sargent, Elissa Hylton retired from the board after serving for six years, but she will continue to serve on the board's collections committee. Hylton and her husband Hartwell have been residents of Darien for six years, and raised their daughter here. Hylton is a graduate of Dartmouth College and New York University School of Law. In 1996, Hylton retired as vice president and senior associate counsel of Chase Manhattan Bank in New York.

During the Annual Meeting, the Society named new officers to the board, and also announced the addition of several new members to the board. The officers include:

Kate Larson, co-vice president. A retired attorney, Larson moved to Darien in 1989 and has held prominent positions in numerous community organizations. She and her husband Steve have raised two children in town.

Joe Spain, co-vice president. Spain is a graduate of Manhattan College and Boston College Law School. He retired from a Manhattan-based law firm and is now senior counsel at Clifford Chance. He and his wife, Susan, moved to Darien in 1967 and have three children and seven grandchildren.

Jared Heuer, treasurer. A graduate of St. Lawrence University and Columbia University, where he earned an MBA, Heuer is the managing partner of a real estate investment firm based in Stamford. Heuer and his wife, Schuyler Roach Heuer, live in Tokeneke with their three children.

Julie Johnston, secretary. A graduate of Brown University, Johnston has over twenty years of professional experience in the IT and design industry, and now works as a freelance web development specialist. She developed this creative website for the Darien Historical Society. Johnston and her husband, Scott, have two children.

Mollie Fullington. Fullington is a public relations professional and has held many prominent public relations roles, including the office of New York Governor George E. Pataki for over five years. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Fullington is currently executive vice president of Linden, Alschuler & Kaplan PR in New York.

David Polett. A graduate of Boston College and the University of Bridgeport, Polett spent 35 years in education, including 25 years as science coordinator for the Blind Brook-Rye School District. Active in many community organizations, Polett and his wife, Karen, live in Darien and raised a daughter here.

The following people were elected to the Darien Historical Society’s Board of Directors during its Annual Meeting: